WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new study suggests that excess belly fat may be a stronger signal for declining heart health than body mass index (BMI).
Researchers analyzed data from nearly 2,000 adults in the Jackson Heart Study who had no history of heart failure at baseline. To assess body fat, they looked at several measures, including weight, BMI, waist circumference, and waist-to-height ratio. Among these, waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio were used to assess central obesity, defined as abdominal fat accumulation. They also measured high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a marker of inflammation in the body.
During the study, participants were followed for a median period of just under seven years. The findings showed that higher levels of hs-CRP were associated with a lower likelihood of remaining free from heart failure. Notably, BMI did not predict heart failure risk, whereas both waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio were significant indicators.
The researchers further conducted a mediation analysis to understand the role of inflammation. They found that hs-CRP accounted for a substantial portion of the link between abdominal fat and heart failure risk, which was 25.4 percent for waist circumference and 28.5 percent for waist-to-height ratio.
Overall, the study found that visceral fat, or fat stored deep in the abdomen, is more closely linked to heart failure risk than overall body weight. Larger waist measurements were associated with a higher risk, even in individuals whose BMI fell within a normal range. These findings highlight that fat distribution may be more important than total body weight when it comes to heart health.
The results suggest that measuring waist size, alongside traditional metrics like BMI, could help improve how clinicians identify individuals at higher risk of heart failure.
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